Freestyle—a title inspired by notion of improvisation and experimentation in jazz and hip hop music—is a national survey of introducing new works by twenty-eight of the most compelling, emerging Black artists. This exhibition brings together an eclectic group of artists who are investigating a range of issues and media – including paintings, drawings, photography, digital media; and video, sound and traditional installations.

Born primarily after the Civil Rights movement and having come of age during the evolution of hip hop, 80s pop culture and the era of multiculturalism, the generation of artists featured in Freestyle reflects the current creative moment taking place among today’s emerging black artists. These artists are informed by art history and theory, and influenced by the insight and prolific output of a generation of artists who gained popularity in the 80s and 90 such as Ellen Gallagher, Glenn Ligon, Kerry James Marshall, Gary Simmons, Lorna Simpson and Kara Walker. Freestyle presents an unprecedented opportunity to gage the creative climate of the Twenty-first Century. Freestyle features a collection of 86 works—many of which are site-specific—that open up new discourses on ‘black art’ and offer refreshing perspectives on identity, culture and aesthetics through diverse and innovative artistic languages. This exhibition explores how these issues are examined in the artists’ work through humor, satire, passion and irony.

Freestyle reclaims the original mission of the Studio Museum in Harlem: to present the cutting-edge of contemporary art by artists of African descent and caps a period of revitalization for the Studio Museum.

Artists in Freestyle

• Laylah Ali
• John Bankston
• Sanford Biggers
• Mark Bradford
• Louis Cameron
• Rico Gatson
• Deborah Grant
• Kojo Griffin
• Adler Guerrier
• Trenton Doyle Hancock
• Tana Hargest
• Kira Lynn Harris
• David Huffman
• Jerald Ieans
• Rashid Johnson
• Vincent Johnson
• Jennie C. Jones
• Arnold J. Kemp
• Dave McKenzie
• Julie Mehretu
• Adia Millett
• Kori Newkirk
• Camille Norment
• Senam Okudzeto
• Clifford Owens
• Nadine Robinson
• Susan Smith-Pinelo
• Eric Wesley